Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tuesday of the 1st Week after Pentecost (St Bernardine of Siena) - 4th Day of the Novena to St Philip Neri

As St Bernardine preached, we ought ever call upon the most sweet and salvific name of Jesus, for there is no other Name under heaven given unto men whereby we may be saved - whereas, to this Most Holy Name, every knee shall bow:

Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus.

(Jesu, Jesu, be to me Jesus, that is, Saviour.)

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For the Novena to St Philip Neri -another saint who never tired of repeating the Holy Name of Jesus - from Fr Faber:

III. HIS SPIRIT OF LIBERTY AND ABSENCE OF METHOD.

I. All saints seem to have given scandal in their day, St. Philip is no exception.1. This taking scandal at saints is an evidence of corruption.2. It was the same with our Blessed Lord. And the world never learns; it would take the same amount of scandal, both in amount and kind, if He came again.3. That in which each saint gives scandal, is his characteristic peculiarity; and in that will be found to consist the eminence of his holiness and sanctity in its earlier stages, not very easily distinguishable from eccentricity.II. What people took and take exception to in St. Philip is his liberty of spirit and absence of method.1. As a saint in his own life.(1) He was long years in Rome and yet joined no religious order.(2) He took all his steps as direction and obedience suggested, but even then formed no great or definite plans.(3) He was ready to give up his works at any moment.(4) His own spirituality was singularly free, and left to God’s action on him day by day.2. As a founder and superior.(1) The way his Congregation grew up piecemeal.(2) He would not let his subjects have their time to themselves.(3) He would not have vows in it.(4) He made the separation of each house essential, that they might not band together for any common end, or to forward any definite views.(5) His dislike of attachment to their work in his subjects.3. As a master of the spiritual life.(1) Absence of set rules and methods; each day was to supply its own materials.(2) His penitents were to keep in their own spheres and at their social duties.(3) His little interference with their external things.(4) His spirit of prayer so full of liberty as to method.(5) His variety of direction without any recognisable technical peculiarity of his own.III. Two schools of holiness in the Church, the school of captivity and the school of liberty. St. Philip, like St. Francis of Sales, singularly of the latter.1. It came from his immense devotion to the Person of the Holy Ghost. Docility to inspirations was to him instead of rule.2. This made him immensely interior. God was his one demand in himself and in others.3. His horror of mere formality and habit, or woodenness, or anything cut and dry. This made him negligent, sometimes startlingly so, of externals.Both systems are holy; I do not say that one is in itself better than the other; both are from God. But I bless God that He has given to His Church the system of liberty as well as that of holy captivity; because I feel for myself that I never could be spiritual on the captivity system, whereas I hope that I may some day or other attain to spirituality on the other system.II. Living with St. Philip daily.1. Meeting his clear quiet eye every morning, feeling that we were seen through, that nothing was unnoticed, nothing unremembered.2. Feeling how easily and also how deeply pained he could be, how he revolted from all insincerity and pretences.3. Made uncomfortable by feeling that we had weaknesses, he had not.4. In good times we should enjoy it, in bad chafe under it.5. His sternness would grow on our notice — and yet his sweetness be ever gaining more empire.6. Why should such a man attract? Because we have all a distrust of self at bottom — we do not like standing alone — life is a grave thing — we like to lean on some one of whom we are sure — and in sorrow and such like times he was all sweetness and support.

Through the prayers of St Patrick, Thy Bishop and Confessor, we entreat Thy Divine Majesty, that Thou permit us to worship and adore Thee according to the Traditional Latin Rite of the Holy Roman Church, at least on all Sundays and Holy Days:

May this clean oblation be acceptable unto Thee, O Lord of hosts, which, through the labours of blessed Patrick, from the rising to the setting of the sun, shall be offered unto Thy great Name among the nations, as Thou hast willed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Let us pray for Francis our Pope. R/. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

(Let us pray for Julian our Bishop. R/. May he stand and shepherd in Thy strength, O Lord, in the sublimity of Thy name.)

OUR LADY OF COLEBROOK

We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God: despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

St Mary of the Cross

St Mary, pray for Australia and Australian Catholics; obtain for us deliverance from the unjust actions of bishops and priests; intercede for us that we may for now bear these trials as our apportioned cross, and at length overcome by patience and fidelity, as you did while on earth; now in heaven, be our advocate by your holy merits and glorious suffrages.

Il Papa che parla...

As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a Formaextraordinaria of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.

… it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them.

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF MATTEO RICCI, S.J. (1552-1610)

Eternal Father, Who didst send Thine Only-begotten Son into this world to redeem mankind, kindly hear our humble prayer, and grant the favour we ask at the intercession of the Servant of God Father Matteo Ricci, an outstanding preacher of the Gospel by Thy providential plan, one of the first to harvest the field made sacred by Saint Francis Xavier; who, as soon as he became a missionary in China, spread far and wide the teaching of Christ, and wisely guided countless souls along the road to salvation and sanctity; may it please Thee, therefore, to glorify him on earth, as we believe he is glorified in heaven, and to add his name to the list of the Blesseds and Saints; for his elevation to the honours of the altar would give greater glory to Thee and to Thy Church, and greater edification to the Chinese Christians who so courageously live their faith and their charity. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Intercession of G. K. Chesterton

God our Father, Thou didst fill the life of Thy servant Gilbert Keith Chesterton with a sense of wonder and joy, and gave him a faith which was the foundation of his ceaseless work, a hope which sprang from his enduring gratitude for the gift of human life, and a charity towards all men, particularly his opponents. May his innocence and his laughter, his constancy in fighting for the Christian faith in a world losing belief, his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his love for all men, especially for the poor, bring cheerfulness to those in despair, conviction and warmth to lukewarm believers, and the knowledge of Thee to those without faith. We beg Thee to grant the favours we ask through his intercession, [and especially for …,] so that his holiness may be recognized by all, and the Church may proclaim him Blessed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

TROPARION & KONTAKION OF ST JOSHUA MY PATRON

Chosen by Moses to lead the people of God into the promised land, * you led them through the waters of the Jordan. * Thus, by your actions as well as by your name * you foreshadow the saviour, who leads us through the waters of baptism. * O holy prophet, Joshua, * beg him now to save our souls.

PRAY FOR THE REUNION OF ANGLICANS WITH THE SEE OF ROME

V/. Pray for them, O Holy Mother of God.

R/. That they may be one in the Church of thy Son.

The Collect for the Anglican Use

O HOLY Ghost the Lord, who on Pentecost gavest the Church the gift of tongues that Christ might be known, loved and served by peoples of divers nations and customs: watch over the Anglican heritage within thy Church, we pray thee, that, led by thy guidance and strengthened by thy grace, that Use may find such favor in thy sight that its people may increase both in holiness and number, and so show forth thy glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Son, one God world without end. Amen.

the extraordinary form of the roman rite in perth, western australia

The Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated daily at St Anne's, Perth, Western Australia, by Fr Michael Rowe, official Latin Mass Chaplain of the Archdiocese of Perth. Sunday Masses are at 7.30am (Low), 9.15am (Missa Cantata) and 11.15am (Low). Confessions are heard before all Sunday and weekday Masses, and afterwards if need be. Weekly programme includes sung Mass on feast days, Holy Hours with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and the Holy Rosary before all Masses. Fr Rowe also travels to Bunbury once a month to supply the Traditional Mass in that diocese. For more information please contact Fr Rowe on (08) 9444 9604.